01712nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653002300042653001700065653002100082653001900103653002700122100001600149700001400165700001300179700001400192245013800206856015000344520102400494       2023                            d10aContested heritage10aLady Phi Yen10aNguyen Phuc clan10aheritagization10ahistorical revisionism1 aK.N. Nguyen1 aQ.A. Phan1 aV.D. Mai1 aH.G. Dang00aBetween a Rock and a Hard Place: Controversies over Contested Intangible Heritage in Vietnam Seen from the Case Study of Lady Phi Yen  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85173723245&doi=10.1177%2f09763996231193203&partnerID=40&md5=fc7bfefcaaf6ad35120341e7739cc9b23 aLe Thi Ram, or Phi Yen the Imperial Concubine as she is more commonly known, is a divisive figure in the folklore of Vietnam. The inhabitants of Con Dao Island have held Phi Yen in high esteem for many years because of her noble deeds in the nineteenth century. A memorial service was organized in her honour by the Con Dao community and was added to the register of Vietnam’s intangible cultural treasures in early 2022. However, this prompted debate about the veracity of the memorial service and the character being honoured. This study uses three theoretical frameworks to analyse the debates over whether to remove the commemoration of Lady Phi Yen’s death: contested heritage, heritagization and historical revisionism. The debate centres on two opposing camps: those supporting keeping the commemoration and those who do not. This research adds to our understanding of the debates surrounding Vietnam’s efforts to protect and promote its intangible cultural heritage and suggests directions for the future.